Writing and lighting instrument device



March 24-, 1970 G. KOCHAN WRITING AND LIGHTING INSTRUMENT DEVICE Filed Jan. 18, 1968 INVENTOR. 650 965 KOC/M/V United States Patent 3,502,859 WRITING AND LIGHTING INSTRUMENT DEVICE George Kochan, R.F.D. 2, Carbondale, Il]. 62901 Filed Jan. 18, 1968, Ser. No. 698,798 Int. Cl. B43k 29/10; F21v 33/00 US. Cl. 2406.46 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A retractable ball point pen having a self-contained light source comprising a clip switch movable both longitudinally and transversely of the pen length, a conductive battery casing slideably mounted inside the pen barrel, and a guideway in the pen barrel coacting with a flange on the battery casing to restrict movement of the casing to up and down motion. To use the pen the clip is moved downward, thereby exposing the ball point, and turned clockwise for daytime use or counterclockwise, completing the electrical connection with the battery casing and the batteries, for nighttime use.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a combined writing and lighting instrument device, for use by policemen, firemen, soldiers, meter readers, and as well as by others, who may be required to write in the dark, and more particularly to a device of this kind, whereby the use of the lighting source is selective.

The invention resides in a pocket or board clip, that further serves, when displaced from its first resting position into a second position in respect to the instrument will project a writing device from the sheath that normally shields the writing device, and when the clip is moved into a third position, both the writing device and a lighting device will be established for use.

As the introductory statement implies, a combined writing and lighting instrument device, in itself, is of course not a basic invention, since however, these former combinations are not in widespread use, when considered in the light of their importance, leads one to believe that a wholly satisfactory and acceptable structure has heretofore been unacceptable. It therefore follows, that the main object of my invention is to improve most drastically upon both the structural and functional components of prior art devices.

In carrying out the aforementioned principles of my invention, a simple, practical, and economical writing and lighting instrument device has been evolved, with the same being characterized by the effectively associated components, whereby they provide a unitary structure in which users thereof will find their respective requirements most amply and satisfactorily served, and further the instrument is adapted in a manner whereby the writing device may be renewed in the dark, by the accommodation of the lighting device. Other objects, features and advantages of my invention will henceforth become more readily apparent from the following description that reads on the several views of the accompanying drawing, that illustrates a preferred embodiment of the structure thereof, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a view in longitudinal section of my writing and lighting instrument device.

FIGURE 2 is a selective side eleavtional view of a substantially complete embodiment of the invention, having certain outer parts severed and removed in order to reveal certain inner components of construction.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged detail view shown partially in vertical section, as taken substantially on the line 66 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a view in transverse section taken substantially on the line 55 of the previously mentioned FIGURE 2.

Referring now in detail to the several views in the drawing, wherein like numerals indicate similar components of construction, the numeral 10 is shown to indicate in general an elongated tubular body member of circular cross section that constitutes a barrel. The barrel 10 may be of any desired length providing that it houses an electrical energy supply sufficient to produce a high intensity lighting beam, as I have found that the lighting beam of the prior art has been incapable of producing proper illumination for nighttime writing, wherein the writer generally had to strain his vision to see just what he is writing, and therefore has proved to be unsatisfactory to him, further as the description advances, the word Non-Conductive as chosen to describe a certain component of construction shall be understood, that the com-' ponent is uncapable of conveying an electrical potential from an electrical power source, or to serve as an electrical conductor. The barrel 10 is formed of a non-conductive material such as hard rubber, Bakelite, or from a plastic material known as Lucite, with my preference being Lucite as it may be readily produced in many attractive colors.

Now best referring to FIGURES 1 and 2 in the drawing the barrel 10 is shown to include in. screw threaded relation with one end thereof, a truncated cone shaped member that constitutes a nose member 11 of nonconductive properties that is formed of a translucent light emitting material such as provided by the properties of transparent Lucite. The nose member 11 is shown to include a plurality of three communicating bores 13, 14, and 16, respectively, of which the 'bore 13 complements the bore of the barrel 10, and which is disposed in contiguous and axial relation therewith. The bore 14 tapers forwardly from the first bore 13 in a manner whereby it defines a truncated cone, whereby the frustum thereof affords a shoulder 15. The bore 16 is of a substantially reduced size, and which is extensible from th intermediate bore 14, and disposed in concentric relation with the both the frustum of the bore 14 and the frustum of the nose member 11, wherein each of the recited bores serve serve for a henceforth described purpose respectively, with the bore 16 serving to slidably journal therein a conventional ball point writing cartridge 17 that includes an integral disc shaped head member 18, that serves to abut the upper end portion of a coiled compression spring 19 that is supported in abutting relation at the opposite end thereof by the frustum 15 of the bore 14, as when the spring 19 is disposed in surrounding relation with the cartridge of the writing device 17.

The disc shaped head member 18 serves for a second purpose and as illustrated, it carries concentrically therewith the glass envelope 22 of an conventional minature lamp, that requires at least three volts to produce sufficient illumination upon a writing tablet or writing board, after the light beam produced thereby is transmitted through the nose member 11, as I have found other writing devices of the prior art incapable of transmitting sufiicient illumination through their translucent nose members, and when clouded by excessive humidity or extensive handling, whereby the light beam is thereby hampered to produce its intended purpose.

Further, the view of FIGURE 1 shows that the conductive ferrule 21 that is in continuity with one side of the lamp filament is disposed in screw threaded relation with the lower closed end of an elongated well-shaped conductive member that constitutes a battery casing 20 that complements slidably both the barrel bore, and the bore 13 of the nose member 11, thereby in use the lamp 22 will be disposed in an intermediate portion of the nose bore 14, and when positioned therein, it Will be enabled to transmit through the nose member 11 a light beam that circumposes the writing device 17, without in itself producing a shadow. Further, the base contact of the lamp 22 that is established in continuity with the opposite side of the lamp filament, is shown as at 25 to be established in continuity with one electrode of a pair of minature batteries 23, 23, that are arranged in an electrical series whereby they will produce the required three volts for the operation of the lamp 22 in order to produce the previously recited required amount of illumination, and which batteries 23, 23, are each provided with a non-conductive jacket 24, that is adapted to complement slidably the well within the battery casing 20, wherein the superposed battery 23 extends slightly above the rim 26 of the casing 20 for a henceforth described reason, further the view shows that the barrel includes an inner axial groove 32 that constitutes a guideway 31 that extends endlessly through the barrel 10 from a location spaced below the rim 26 of the casing 20, as when the casing is disposed within the nose bore 13, wherein the guideway 31 serves with a complementary lug 29 that is disposed laterally and integrally with upper end portion of the casing 20, to slidably key the casing to the barrel 10 for a henceforth described reason, it being now apparent that the nose member 11 may be removed from the barrel 10 when replacing the writing device without the required necessity of removing the other recited components as are disposed in the barrel 10, and further the said other recited components may b removed from the opposite end of the barrel, as when the cup-shaped closure or cap member 41 that is disposed in screw threaded relation therewith is initially removed.

The cap member 41 is shown to include a central boss 40 at the underside thereof, which in turn carries dependingly a pintle 39 that has one end thereof disposed in screw threaded relation with a central portion of the boss 40, with the opposite end of the pintle being spaced substantially from the free electrode of the superposed battery 23, wherein the pintle 39 serves to pivot slidably thereon, a sleeve 38 that bridges the gap between the free electrode of the battery and the pintle 39, and as the sleeve 38 is formed of a conductive material it will thereby be enabled to establish continuity between the free electrode and a tang that constitutes a switch blade 36 that is secured weldingly in lateral relation with the lower peripheral end portion of the sleeve 38, and which switch blade 36 is accommodated to pass extensively through an axial slot 33 that is provided in the wall of the barrel 10 therethrough, where the upper end of the slot is contiguous with the rim of the cap 41, and the opposite end of the slot 33 is disposed above the rim 26 of the casing 20, as when the casing is extended into the nosebore 13. The switch blade 36 includes with the free end thereof a depending leg member constituting a conventional clip 37 that is disposed axially and adjacent the outer peripheral surface of the Wall of the barrel 10, whereby the clip 37, among other purposes may serve to secure the writing or lighting instrument device to a writing board, or to the free edge of a deep garment pocket, it now being apparent that by reciprocating the pocket clip in the axial slot 33 will in turn reciprocate the writing device 17 through the nosebore 16, through the medium of the previously described interposed composite of elements, wherein normally by the action of the spring 19 the ball point end portion of the writing device is shielded by the lower end portion of the nose 11 as when retracted therein, and the switch blade 36 will be disposed in the upper end of the slot 33 and in contiguous relation with the rim of the cap 41.

With reference now being had to both FIGURES 2 and 3 there is shown a second slot 34 that extends radially from the lower open end of the first axial slot 33, and in a direction indicated by the arrow that is marked with the indicia day, thereby the clip 37 is enabled to pass the switch blade 36 from the lower open end of the axial slot 33 into the transverse and communicating slot 34 by virtue of the sleeve 38, that has been mentioned as being disposed in pivoted and slidable relation with the pintle 39, and by the said action thereon, the sleeve 38 will in turn compress the compression spring 19, through the medium of the components that have been said to be slidably interposed between the lower rim of the sleeve 38 and the disc shaped head member 18, that has been said to be disposed on the upper end of the writing device 17, whereby the writing device 17 will be permitted to pass the lower end portion thereof through the bore 16 of the nose member 11, it now being apparent that as the axial slidable movement of the switch blade 36 in respect to the barrel 10 is restricted by the upper transverse wall of the slot 34, that the projected writing end portion of the writing device 17 will be disposed in fixed relation with the nose member 11, and thereby the writing or ball point end of the writing device 17 will be established for use, as in the daylight; however, the said view shows a third slot 35 that is provided in the barrel 10, therethrough, and which slot 35 is disposed in coplanar relation with the second slot 34, and which further extends in radial relation with the lower open end of the first axial slot 33, in a direction opposite the second slot 34, wherein it being apparent that the switch blade may be shifted cross-wise from the slot 34 into the slot 35 by manual rotation of the clip 36, with the stated action thereon maintaining the writing device 17 in its established writing position, but inasmuch as the switch blade 36 was intercepted slidably by a lower body portion of a yieldable arcuately shaped upwardly inclined spring finger constituting an electrical contactor 27 that is welding secured at the foot 28 thereof to a body portion on the rim 26 of the battery casing 20, and which rim body portion is disposed below the plane of the third slot 35, as when the writing device is established for use, and which contactor 27 transverses slopingly the slot 35, and as it has been said that the battery casing 20 is keyed against rotational movement with the barrel 10, then it is apparent that the switch blade 36 will establish continuity with the contactor 27 without displacing the battery casing 20 in respect to the barrel 10, as when the switch blade 36 is advanced slidably on the contactor 27 in the direction of the arrow identified by the indicia marked night, and thereby the electrical circuit that is interposed by the batteries 23, 23, the battery casing 20, the lamp 22, the sleeve 38, the switch blade 36, and the contactor 27, will be completed in a manner whereby the electrical energy from the batteries 23, 23, will flow through the filament of the lamp 22, and thereby establish a light beam that will be emitted through the surrounding conical shaped wall of the second bore 14 of the nose piece 11, in a manner whereby the light beam when played on a writing surface will be disposed in surrounding relation with the projected ball point writing end of the writing device 17, thereby the user will be enabled to Write in the dark,

The improved multipurpose instrument device herein revealed is primarily a handy and practical tool for those people, as has been hereinbefore mentioned, as being handicapped by an improper lighting source when attempting to write in the dark, and especially so when the writing device had to be renewed at that particular time wherein now the lighting device may serve as a flashlight when the nose piece 11 is removed from the barrel 10.

A careful consideration of the foregoing description in conjunction with the invention as illustrated in the drawings will enable those skilled in the art to obtain a clear understanding and impression of the alleged features of both merit and novelty sutficient to clarify the construction of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Minor changes in shape, size, materials and rearrangement of parts may be resorted to in actual practice so long as no departure is made from the invention as claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a writing and lighting instrument device, comprising in combination, an elongated open ended non conductive barrel of uniform diameter, a truncated coneshaped nose piece composed of a translucent light emitting shatter-proof material disposed in screw threaded axial relation with one open end of said barrel, said nose piece having a plurality of three axial communicating bores provided therethrough, said first bore complement ing the bore of said barrel and extending axially therefrom, said second bore formed conical and truncated, and extending axially from the first said bore, said third bore having a substantially reduced diameter relative to the bore within said cone of the said second said lbore, said third bore disposed concentrically with the said frustum of the second said bore and the frustum of the said nosepiece, a conventional ball point writing device having a cartridge enclosing the ink supply of said writing device, said cartridge adapted for an axial and slidable fit within the third said bore and extensible therefrom, a disc shaped head member fixed in concentric relation with the closed end of said cartridge, said head member having the periphery thereof spaced substantially from the intermediate portion of the surrounding wall of the second said bore, a helical compression spring disposed in surrounding slidable relation with the cartridge of said writing device, and in interposed abutting relation with the under-side of said head member and the shoulder provided by the frustum of the second said bore and the said reduced third axial bore, a second tubular conductive barrel of uniform diameter having one substantially closed end, said second barrel constituting a battery cas ing adapted to hold at least two minature dry cells therein arranged in electrical series, said batteries having their conductive cartridges insulated from the inner peripheral surface of said battery casing, a miniature lamp disposed in screw threaded axial relation with the substantially closed end of said casing, said lamp having one side of its filament established in continuity with the said casing, and the opposite side of said filament established in continuity with one electrode of said batteries, wherein the free end of said batteries is displaced extensible the open end of said casing by the screw threaded relation of said lamp therewith, said casing having a shorter length than said barrel, and adapted for an axial slidable fit within the bore thereof, wherein the envelope of said lamp will be carried concentrically by the upper face of the said disc shaped head member, a cup-shaped closure member constituting a cap, said cap disposed in screw threaded relation with the open end of said barrel, said cap having a central boss extending inwardly the bore of said barrel, a pintle having one end thereof disposed in screw threaded concentric relation with said boss, and the free end thereof spaced substantially from the free electrode of said batteries; of a board or pocket clip disposed in axial contiguous relation with said barrel and extending forwardly from the rim of said cap, said clip provided with a laterally disposed tang constituting a switch blade, said switch blade adapted to pass slidably through an axial slot provided in said barrel therethrough, said slot extending from the rim of said cap, with the lower open end thereof being spaced above the rim of said battery casing, a sleeve having the lower end portion thereof fixed transversely with the free end of said switch blade and extending in a parallel opposite direction from said clip, said sleeve adapted for a pivotal and slidable fit on said pintle, with the open end thereof adjacent said switch blade being established in continuity with the free electrode of said batteries, said clip adapted to counter the resilient force of said compression spring acting to elevate said composite of components as have been said to be disposed slidably in said barrel, as when said clip is manually depressed in a direction towards the opposite open end of said axial slot, whereby said sleeve will be disposed on the lower end portion of said pintle by the medium of said switch blade, and said ball point writing device will be projected from said nosepiece, by the medium of said composite of slidable components interposed therebetween, means to releasably secure said last designated positioning of said slidable components in respect to said barrel whereby the projected end portion of said writing device will be adapted for use in the light, and means to selectively and simultaneously establish a lighting source in surrounding relation with said projected writing device whereby said device will be adapted for use in the dark.

2. As claimed in claim 1, wherein the means to releasably secure said writing device in extensible relation with said barrel, whereby said device will be adapted for use in the light, comprises a second transverse slot provided in the barrel therethrough, and which transverse slot extends radially from the lower open end of the first axial slot, whereby the upper longitudinal wall of the second said slot serves to restrict the upward slidable movement of said writing device inwardly said nosepiece and the upperward movement of said slidable components as have been said to be disposed in said barrel :by the abutting relation of said switch blade therewith, as when said switch blade is displaced from said first axial slot into said second transverse slot by a manual action translated thereon by virtue of the clip.

3. As claimed in claim 1, wherein the means to establish a lighting source selectively and simultaneously in surrounding relation with said projected writing device, whereby said wiring device will be adjusted for use in the dark, comprises a second transverse slot provided in the barrel therethrough, and which said second slot extends radially from the opposite lower open end of said axial slot, and in coplanar relation with the second transverse slot, whereby the manual shifting of said switch blade by virtue of said clip from the second said slot into the third said slot will be slidably and yieldably intercepted by an upwardly inclined spring finger constituting a contactor that complements a sector portion of said rim shoulder of said battery casing, wherein the contactor is secured at the foot thereof therewith, thereby said continuity between said switch blade and said contactor completes the electrical circuit through said lamp and said power supply, whereby the energy acting on the filament of the lamp will suflice in producing a lighting beam of sufficient intensity to illuminate a writing surface as when the beam is played thereon, and means to obviate the accidental displacement of said contactor in respect to said third transverse slot, by the action of said switch blade when moved radially and slidably thereon by virtue of the pivoted clip.

4. As claimed in claim 3, wherein the means to prevent the accidental displacement of said contactor in respect to said third transverse slot as when said contactor is disposed substantially in transverse relation therewith, comprises an axial groove constituting a guideway provided in the inner face of said barrel disposed diametrically from the first axial slot thereof, and which guideway extends endlessly through said barrel from an intermediate body portion thereof, and serving to key the battery casing with said guideway there is provided a complementary lug that extends in lateral relation with an upper body portion of said battery casing adjacent the rim shoulder thereof, as when said lug is slidably disposed in said guideway.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,303,337 2/1967 Kan Cheung Lo 2406.46 3,384,742 5/1968 Delligatti 2406.46

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,168,798 4/ 1964 Germany.

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner R. W. ADAMS, Assistant Examiner 

